Mueller, Johnston Box 27 Pounds On Day 1

By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

Paul Mueller has been haunted for the last three years by a big smallmouth he lost in a Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake St. Clair. He's certain that it weighed more than 7 pounds – at least half a pound heavier than his personal best from Lake Candlewood in his native Connecticut, where he guides when he's not away competing in tournaments.

Mueller got his 7-pounder – plus another 13 ounces – on day 1 of this week's Elite Series derby on the St. Lawrence River in New York. The giant bronzeback highlighted a 27-01 stringer that gave him a 1-ounce lead over Lake Ontario ace Chris Johnston at the top of the standings.

The monster is back in the waters from which it came, but Mueller has a bunch of photos that'll be used to construct a replica mount. He knows a taxidermist back home who he'll commission to do the paint work.

He saw the fish on his Garmin electronics before he caught it at about 9 a.m.

"You can tell the size of fish on LiveScope and it looked too big to be a bass – I thought it might be a drum," he said. "I'm really at a loss for words for that fish.

"It's the fish of a lifetime. No matter what else happens, my week has already been made."

Veteran Clark Wendlandt, who's been red-hot since last year's finale at St. Clair, is less than a pound off the lead after weighing a 26-03 stringer. Clifford Pirch (24-12) and Brock Mosley (24-02) round out the top 5.

Chad Morgenthaler heads up the lower half of the top 10 with 23-06, followed by 2019 St. Lawrence winner Micah Frazier with 22-12, Fletcher Shryock and Mike Huff with 21-08 and Derek Hudnall with 21-04.

Most of the biggest bags came from Ontario as a lack of wind made it easy for competitors to fish wherever they preferred. Conditions are expected to remain relatively mild through Saturday before a double-digit wind out of the southwest arrives for the final day.

Seventeen anglers compiled at least 20 pounds and six more were within a pound of that mark. Among those who were nowhere close was defending Angler of the Year and current points leader Scott Canterbury, who's 76th in the 86-angler field with 12-06.

Mueller, who won the season opener at the St. Johns River before bombing in the Bassmaster Classic and last month's derby at Lake Eufaula, said he went through nine or 10 keepers on the day and lost a couple of good ones that might've combined to give him an additional pound. He practiced one day in the river, but only because it was extremely windy. His plan is to remain on the lake throughout the event.

"The average size of the fish in the lake just seems to be better," he said. "There's big fish in the river, too, but it seems harder to put five of them together.

"I don't have big schools of them, but I don't catch many small ones; they're all 4 1/2 to 5-pounders and those are the kind of fish you need to win the tournament. I had some stuff that I purposely didn't fish because I didn't want to risk catching 4-pounders that I might need on another day. I'm taking it one day at a time and what I did today doesn't guarantee anything for tomorrow."

Johnston has caught numerous bags that topped 25 pounds from Ontario, but said he didn't expect to add another on day 1.

"I said going in that I'd be happy with 22 or 23 pounds and I'd lay off after that. I didn't really fish my areas hard in practice, but I only caught one 5-pounder and three 4s in three days."

He weighed one fish that was over 6 and the other four averaged more than 5. One of the 5s literally jumped onto the deck of his boat, relieving him of the task of attempting to subdue it by hand.

"Where I started was a little crowded, but when I left there I was by myself. Those places don't replenish and it gets harder every day, and I'm trying to save some spots for later days. I'm just hoping that other guys aren't on them.

"Where I'm starting is probably going to dry up, so I'll catch what I can there tomorrow and then move on."

Wendlandt recalls competing on this venue more than a quarter-century ago when half of what he caught on day 1 was considered a good bag. His haul contained three fish that exceeded 5 pounds, with two of those pushing 6.

"I caught some nice ones in practice, but it's hard to dream up 26 pounds," he said. "Really, every smallmouth place I've ever fished, a 4 1/2-pounder is the biggest one you catch. This place has got bigger fish than that – they're just huge.

"It's all about the gobies," he said in reference to the invasive, bottom-dwelling fish that have become the primary food source for Great Lakes smallmouth and have been credited for their average size increase over the past decade or so. "There's so many of them out there – I'm catching at least 10 gobies a day."

Pirch said he wasn't real confident after his three days of practice, but he has enough experience on the venue to know that things can change quickly – for better or worse. He spent time in both the lake and the river and boated a trio of 5-pound-plus fish.

"Things are always different here once you go ahead and start hooking some fish, but practice definitely seemed harder for me that it had been in the past," he said. "I think I'm dialing in a little better on what I'm doing and I hope I can go out and get them again tomorrow."

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 86 anglers, 83 limits, 2 threes, 1 two.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., July 24 – Mostly Sunny - 83°/63°
- Wind: From the NE at 4 mph

> Sat., July 25 – Mostly Sunny - 83°/69°
- Wind: From the SW at 8 mph

> Sun., July 26 – Mostly Cloudy - 85°/72°
- Wind: From the SW at 12 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT -- 5, 27-01 -- 100
Day 1: 5 -- 27-01

2. Chris Johnston -- Peterborough, ON -- 5, 27-00 -- 99
Day 1: 5 -- 27-00

3. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, TX -- 5, 26-03 -- 98
Day 1: 5 -- 26-03

4. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 5, 24-12 -- 97
Day 1: 5 -- 24-12

5. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 5, 24-02 -- 96
Day 1: 5 -- 24-02

6. Chad Morgenthaler -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 23-06 -- 95
Day 1: 5 -- 23-06

7. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 5, 22-12 -- 94
Day 1: 5 -- 22-12

8. Hunter Shryock -- Newcomerstown, OH -- 5, 21-08 -- 93
Day 1: 5 -- 21-08

9. -- Mike Huff -- Corbin, KY -- 5, 21-08 -- 92
Day 1: 5 -- 21-08

10. Derek Hudnall -- Denham Springs, LA -- 5, 21-04 -- 91
Day 1: 5 -- 21-04

11. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 21-03 -- 90
Day 1: 5 -- 21-03

12. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 5, 21-00 -- 89
Day 1: 5 -- 21-00

13. Taku Ito -- Chiba, Japan -- 5, 20-08 -- 88
Day 1: 5 -- 20-08

14. Austin Felix -- Eden Prairie, MN -- 5, 20-05 -- 87
Day 1: 5 -- 20-05

15. David Mullins -- Mt Carmel, TN -- 5, 20-02 -- 86
Day 1: 5 -- 20-02

16. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 5, 20-01 -- 85
Day 1: 5 -- 20-01

17. Greg DiPalma -- Millville, NJ -- 5, 20-00 -- 84
Day 1: 5 -- 20-00

18. Buddy Gross -- Chickamauga, GA -- 5, 19-12 -- 83
Day 1: 5 -- 19-12

19. Cory Johnston -- Cavan, ON -- 5, 19-07 -- 82
Day 1: 5 -- 19-07

20. Brad Whatley -- Bivins, TX -- 5, 19-06 -- 81
Day 1: 5 -- 19-06

21. Seth Feider -- New Market, MN -- 5, 19-05 -- 80
Day 1: 5 -- 19-05

22. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, AL -- 5, 19-04 -- 79
Day 1: 5 -- 19-04

23. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 19-04 -- 78
Day 1: 5 -- 19-04

24. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 5, 19-01 -- 77
Day 1: 5 -- 19-01

25. Hank Cherry Jr -- Lincolnton, NC -- 5, 19-00 -- 76
Day 1: 5 -- 19-00

26. Randy Sullivan -- Breckenridge, TX -- 5, 18-13 -- 75
Day 1: 5 -- 18-13

27. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 5, 18-11 -- 74
Day 1: 5 -- 18-11

28. Caleb Kuphall -- Mukwonago, WI -- 5, 18-10 -- 73
Day 1: 5 -- 18-10

29. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, AL -- 5, 18-08 -- 72
Day 1: 5 -- 18-08

30. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, AR -- 5, 18-08 -- 71
Day 1: 5 -- 18-08

31. Brandon Card -- Salisbury, NC -- 5, 18-07 -- 70
Day 1: 5 -- 18-07

32. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 5, 18-06 -- 69
Day 1: 5 -- 18-06

33. John Cox -- Debary, FL -- 5, 18-05 -- 68
Day 1: 5 -- 18-05

34. Ed Loughran III -- Richmond, VA -- 5, 18-04 -- 67
Day 1: 5 -- 18-04

35. Destin DeMarion -- Grove City, PA -- 5, 18-00 -- 66
Day 1: 5 -- 18-00

36. Garrett Paquette -- Canton, MI -- 5, 18-00 -- 65
Day 1: 5 -- 18-00

37. Caleb Sumrall -- New Iberia, LA -- 5, 17-13 -- 64
Day 1: 5 -- 17-13

38. Lee Livesay -- Longview, TX -- 5, 17-11 -- 63
Day 1: 5 -- 17-11

39. Chris Zaldain -- Fort Worth, TX -- 5, 17-10 -- 62
Day 1: 5 -- 17-10

40. Chad Pipkens -- Dewitt, MI -- 5, 17-08 -- 61
Day 1: 5 -- 17-08

41. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 5, 17-08 -- 60
Day 1: 5 -- 17-08

42. Bob Downey -- Hudson, WI -- 5, 17-05 -- 59
Day 1: 5 -- 17-05

43. Bryan Schmitt -- Deale, MD -- 5, 17-00 -- 58
Day 1: 5 -- 17-00

44. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 16-12 -- 57
Day 1: 5 -- 16-12

45. Brett Preuett -- Monroe, LA -- 5, 16-12 -- 56
Day 1: 5 -- 16-12

46. Jason Williamson -- Wagener, SC -- 5, 16-08 -- 55
Day 1: 5 -- 16-08

47. Jeff Gustafson -- Keewatin, ON -- 5, 16-06 -- 54
Day 1: 5 -- 16-06

48. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 5, 16-02 -- 53
Day 1: 5 -- 16-02

49. Robbie Latuso -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 16-00 -- 52
Day 1: 5 -- 16-00

50. Jamie Hartman -- Newport, NY -- 5, 16-00 -- 51
Day 1: 5 -- 16-00

51. Drew Benton -- Blakely, GA -- 5, 15-14 -- 50
Day 1: 5 -- 15-14

52. Tyler Rivet -- Raceland, LA -- 5, 15-10 -- 49
Day 1: 5 -- 15-10

53. Wes Logan -- Springville, AL -- 5, 15-05 -- 48
Day 1: 5 -- 15-05

54. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 5, 15-02 -- 47
Day 1: 5 -- 15-02

55. Luke Palmer -- Coalgate, OK -- 5, 14-14 -- 46
Day 1: 5 -- 14-14

56. Tyler Carriere -- Youngsville, LA -- 5, 14-12 -- 45
Day 1: 5 -- 14-12

57. Kyle Monti -- Okeechobee, FL -- 5, 14-10 -- 44
Day 1: 5 -- 14-10

58. Harvey Horne -- Bella Vista, AR -- 5, 14-09 -- 43
Day 1: 5 -- 14-09

59. Rob Digh -- Denver, NC -- 5, 14-07 -- 42
Day 1: 5 -- 14-07

60. Skylar Hamilton -- Dandridge, TN -- 5, 14-05 -- 41
Day 1: 5 -- 14-05

60. Ray Hanselman Jr -- Del Rio, TX -- 5, 14-05 -- 41
Day 1: 5 -- 14-05

60. Patrick Walters -- Summerville, SC -- 5, 14-05 -- 41
Day 1: 5 -- 14-05

63. Bill Weidler -- Helena, AL -- 5, 14-04 -- 38
Day 1: 5 -- 14-04

64. Drew Cook -- Midway, FL -- 5, 14-03 -- 37
Day 1: 5 -- 14-03

65. Frank Talley -- Temple, TX -- 5, 14-02 -- 36
Day 1: 5 -- 14-02

66. Carl Jocumsen -- Queensland, AUS -- 5, 13-13 -- 35
Day 1: 5 -- 13-13

67. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 5, 13-10 -- 34
Day 1: 5 -- 13-10

68. Gary Clouse -- Winchester, TN -- 5, 13-08 -- 33
Day 1: 5 -- 13-08

69. Shane Lineberger -- Lincolnton, NC -- 5, 13-06 -- 32
Day 1: 5 -- 13-06

70. Rick Morris -- Lake Gaston, VA -- 5, 13-04 -- 31
Day 1: 5 -- 13-04

71. Koby Kreiger -- Alva, FL -- 5, 13-03 -- 30
Day 1: 5 -- 13-03

72. Quentin Cappo -- Prairieville, LA -- 5, 13-00 -- 29
Day 1: 5 -- 13-00

73. Gerald Swindle -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 12-15 -- 28
Day 1: 5 -- 12-15

74. Jake Whitaker -- Fairview, NC -- 5, 12-14 -- 27
Day 1: 5 -- 12-14

75. Randy Pierson -- Oakdale, CA -- 5, 12-07 -- 26
Day 1: 5 -- 12-07

76. Scott Canterbury -- Odenville, AL -- 5, 12-06 -- 25
Day 1: 5 -- 12-06

77. Jay Yelas -- Lincoln City, OR -- 5, 12-03 -- 24
Day 1: 5 -- 12-03

78. David Fritts -- Lexington, NC -- 5, 12-01 -- 23
Day 1: 5 -- 12-01

79. Kyle Welcher -- Opelika, AL -- 5, 12-00 -- 22
Day 1: 5 -- 12-00

80. Chris Groh -- Spring Grove, IL -- 5, 12-00 -- 21
Day 1: 5 -- 12-00

81. Shane LeHew -- Catawba, NC -- 5, 11-10 -- 20
Day 1: 5 -- 11-10

82. Jesse Tacoronte -- Kissimmee, FL -- 5, 11-01 -- 19
Day 1: 5 -- 11-01

83. Cody Hollen -- Beaverton, OR -- 3, 09-05 -- 18
Day 1: 3 -- 09-05

84. Brandon Cobb -- Greenwood, SC -- 5, 09-04 -- 17
Day 1: 5 -- 09-04

85. Dale Hightower -- Mannford, OK -- 3, 07-08 -- 16
Day 1: 3 -- 07-08

86. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 2, 05-01 -- 15
Day 1: 2 -- 05-01